Aaron Forsythe has announced a new frame for our beloved cards being applied to all cards moving forwards, and here are both, the images and his word on this (source: TheMagicTutor.com):
What's Going on with That Card Frame?
As you can see from the expansion symbol, Waste Not will be appearing in this year's core set,Magic 2015. As you can also see, a number of tweaks have been made to the card frame. I spent most of 2013 leading the design of M15, an ambitious set that will introduce a few new things to the game, not the least of which is an update to the existing card frame. We have a lot of smart people here in the building who are constantly thinking of ways to improve Magic. Many such ideas involved tweaks to the front of cards, but since we don't want to make sweeping changes to card frames often, we let a few such ideas pile up for a while before picking an opportune time to deploy them in a big batch. M15 was that time.There are five big changes visible above on Waste Not. Four are game-wide changes that will be implemented in M15 and every set going forward, and the last is a little something special just for this set. Let's go over them.
1) The font
Since its inception, Magic has used off-the-shelf fonts on its cards. As a brand, we feel that we'll be better served by having our own unique proprietary font—something with a little edge and character that is still very readable.
In general, we liked the heaviness and shape of the "Matrix Bold" font we'd been using previously, so there are a lot of similarities between the old font and the new, named "Beleren," which should alleviate any jarring feeling when you mix the two together in decks.
2) The holofoil stamp
You'll notice a little silver oval in the bottom center of Waste Not. That's a new unique holofoil stamp that we're applying to all rares and mythic rares going forward. This stamp makes those cards feel more special, as well as guarantees authenticity.
Commons, uncommons, and basic lands will not feature this stamp.
3) The collector info
In the lower left of the card is a series of letters and numbers that indicate the card's collector number (122/269), rarity (R), set (M15), and language (EN). The little dot between the set and the language will be a star on premium cards, so just about everything you'd ever need to know about a card's edition is in one easy-to-read place.
Making the bottom of each card black to accommodate this information was not an easy decision, and may be the most disconcerting part of this frame update, but it was done with the best of intentions. This information is machine-readable by recognition software at our production plants. It will help eliminate the rare packaging error, like cards sneaking into the wrong expansion's boosters.
4) Decreased border size
In order to fit all this cool new stuff on the cards, we've reduced the width of the black border by almost a millimeter all the way around. This reclaimed real estate allows us to have slightly bigger art and text boxes as well.
5) The designer credit
You'll notice that we gave you all credit for making this card in the place normally occupied by flavor text—"Designed by the Magic community." This is the first time we've ever given credit for a specific card design on the card itself, and it's you! You should be very proud! While every card going forward won't feature a designer credit (kinda sad, really), there are a handful of others inMagic 2015, specifically, that will. (You'll have to wait on those details! It's cool, I promise!)
Those are the main components of the card frame update. Here's another M15 card for comparison. This one isn't rare, so it has no stamp; is a creature, so it has a P/T box; and isn't black, so you can see the frame design more clearly. All in all, it is an impressive modernization of the card frame, one I'll be excited to get my hands on this summer with M15.
It would be interesting to share here our diverse opinions about the matter, being us either alterers (brush artists), digital-renderers, or just alter-render lovers.
Personally, I hope they do not include that glossy surface that some side product have shown lately. It would make our labor harder if they decide to apply such thing to all the cards from now on.
Also, I bet that preserving the hologram will be added to WotC policies regarding alterations, so now we have a new element that could restrict the use of our alters in sanctioned gameplay. Luckily, that logo is placed on an area that doesn't bother much, except may be for those who like to create custom textboxes.
What do you think?
Note: I was almost posting this thread when noticed that Plaguefater and a couple more users raised this topic in other threads. I still thinking this deserves a thread on its own, so here it is.
From an art perspective, I like the new design for a few reasons. Some people will not like the bottom of the card being black, but I like it because it makes the card feel to me like it has been bolded, and it brings out the other colors. I also like it because cards heavier in black look sweet and more modern and hip imo- much like websites.
Somebody needs to hurry and make an update to a .psd template with these changes (other than the font obviously) so the masses can work on alters right away! If they don't, I will lol.
I also think it will be interesting how the design community here will use the oval stamp differently in our alters, if we use it at all.
Wizards doesn't have a policy about altering cards so I can't really see them having anything to say about that. To me, these are close enough to the current frames that it won't matter at all. The oval will be easy enough to get rid of if need be, but really, this isn't nearly as big of a shift as the 1stG to 2ndG frames.
I can't really think of any real reason not to like them. The holo-spot should be easy to paint over if you want and easy enough to ignore if you don't. The rest is sort of just the same as what we have now. As long as they don't oil them up like they did the CMD13 cards I'm not seeing any issues at all.
At first I really didn't like the changes they had made as I found the bottom border way to stark especially on a white card. After creating a M15 template I have reversed my view mostly. The new frame has larger art and rules areas which is very nice. I like the smaller border and the holostamp. The placement of the smaller P/T box ensures the holostamp doesn't get in the way of text. The jury is out with me on the Beleren typeface until I can see more of it, I'm hoping it isn't too campy.
At first I really didn't like the changes they had made as I found the bottom border way to stark especially on a white card. After creating a M15 template I have reversed my view mostly. The new frame has larger art and rules areas which is very nice. I like the smaller border and the holostamp. The placement of the smaller P/T box ensures the holostamp doesn't get in the way of text. The jury is out with me on the Beleren typeface until I can see more of it, I'm hoping it isn't too campy.
I also have been working with an M15 template and an M15 + new promo-style template. I agree with everything narb has said.
Eh, not a fan of it, mostly because it seems like an unnecessary change. Have more art space is nice in my opinion, as I am a collector for the art. Terrible cards stick easily in my memory if they have great art, so having more space for that will be nice.
I'm not a fan because it feels like my eye is instantly drawn away from the rest of the card (the important stuff1) to focus on the large amount of negative space at the bottom of the card.
On the other hand, it might just be that I'm not used to it yet.
Two reasonable complaints I (and others, I think) have:
1. The new collector's info in the lower left is redundant. Rarity, set, and language is already apparent from the set icon/color and the card text. I've heard that this is meant to make the cards machine readable, but the fact is that they already were. Scanner technology has become very advanced in the past decade.
2. The colored background is asymmetrical near the bottom and doesn't extend to either corner. I've attached a quick mockup to illustrate an alternative:
P.S. I was a little bitter about YMTC 4 due to its poor voting standards, so don't appreciate the 'flavor' text of Waste Not. This change doesn't seem like it'll affect altering much... getting more image space is actually a plus!
Two reasonable complaints I (and others, I think) have:
1. The new collector's info in the lower left is redundant. Rarity, set, and language is already apparent from the set icon/color and the card text. I've heard that this is meant to make the cards machine readable, but the fact is that they already were. Scanner technology has become very advanced in the past decade.
2. The colored background is asymmetrical near the bottom and doesn't extend to either corner. I've attached a quick mockup to illustrate an alternative:
P.S. I was a little bitter about YMTC 4 due to its poor voting standards, so don't appreciate the 'flavor' text of Waste Not. This change doesn't seem like it'll affect altering much... getting more image space is actually a plus!
Despite the state of technology, there have been some serious mispacks, especially recently. Getting extra rares, missing a rare in your pack, and accidental spoilers like we got with Rootborn Defenses all justify the addition of the redundant information. It's about quality control, and I'm in approval of that.
I agree with your opinion on the color background not reaching low enough though, and I like your take on how it should look. It's quite a bit better.
Nice. I like that the artist gets credit in the black area, which is not so likely to get altered in an extension. Was never really fond of it when the original artist name was covered with paint
As you can see from the expansion symbol, Waste Not will be appearing in this year's core set,Magic 2015. As you can also see, a number of tweaks have been made to the card frame. I spent most of 2013 leading the design of M15, an ambitious set that will introduce a few new things to the game, not the least of which is an update to the existing card frame. We have a lot of smart people here in the building who are constantly thinking of ways to improve Magic. Many such ideas involved tweaks to the front of cards, but since we don't want to make sweeping changes to card frames often, we let a few such ideas pile up for a while before picking an opportune time to deploy them in a big batch. M15 was that time.There are five big changes visible above on Waste Not. Four are game-wide changes that will be implemented in M15 and every set going forward, and the last is a little something special just for this set. Let's go over them.
Personally, I hope they do not include that glossy surface that some side product have shown lately. It would make our labor harder if they decide to apply such thing to all the cards from now on.
Also, I bet that preserving the hologram will be added to WotC policies regarding alterations, so now we have a new element that could restrict the use of our alters in sanctioned gameplay. Luckily, that logo is placed on an area that doesn't bother much, except may be for those who like to create custom textboxes.
What do you think?
Note: I was almost posting this thread when noticed that Plaguefater and a couple more users raised this topic in other threads. I still thinking this deserves a thread on its own, so here it is.
Somebody needs to hurry and make an update to a .psd template with these changes (other than the font obviously) so the masses can work on alters right away! If they don't, I will lol.
I also think it will be interesting how the design community here will use the oval stamp differently in our alters, if we use it at all.
RoblinTheGoblin's Pro M15 Template:
RoblinTheGoblin's Pro M15 Template v1.3
Also includes M15+ real god stars, promo template, super art template, planeswalker template
WUBRGPauper Battle BoxWUBRG ... and why I am not a fan of Wayne Reynolds' Illustrations.
[W]FREE STONEFORGE MYSTIC and JACE THE MINDSCULPTOR[/W]
Please Visit my Alterations Page!
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Want a FREE Playset of Foil Baneslayer Angels?!?:
WUBRGPauper Battle BoxWUBRG ... and why I am not a fan of Wayne Reynolds' Illustrations.
I also have been working with an M15 template and an M15 + new promo-style template. I agree with everything narb has said.
RoblinTheGoblin's Pro M15 Template:
RoblinTheGoblin's Pro M15 Template v1.3
Also includes M15+ real god stars, promo template, super art template, planeswalker template
My art blog
Claims:
The kicker variant in WWK will be "Kicker without a kicked effect." - proven wrong Jan 2010 : 2 wrongs
Decks:
:symu::symb: Bloodchief Ascension - Modern
:symb::symr: Rakdos, the Defiler - EDH
:symu::symb::symw: Sharuum the Hegemon - EDH
:symw::symu::symb: Zur the Enchanter - EDH
On the other hand, it might just be that I'm not used to it yet.
A comic about the world's most addictive game, Magic: The Gathering.
1. The new collector's info in the lower left is redundant. Rarity, set, and language is already apparent from the set icon/color and the card text. I've heard that this is meant to make the cards machine readable, but the fact is that they already were. Scanner technology has become very advanced in the past decade.
2. The colored background is asymmetrical near the bottom and doesn't extend to either corner. I've attached a quick mockup to illustrate an alternative:
P.S. I was a little bitter about YMTC 4 due to its poor voting standards, so don't appreciate the 'flavor' text of Waste Not. This change doesn't seem like it'll affect altering much... getting more image space is actually a plus!
Despite the state of technology, there have been some serious mispacks, especially recently. Getting extra rares, missing a rare in your pack, and accidental spoilers like we got with Rootborn Defenses all justify the addition of the redundant information. It's about quality control, and I'm in approval of that.
I agree with your opinion on the color background not reaching low enough though, and I like your take on how it should look. It's quite a bit better.
My art blog
Claims:
The kicker variant in WWK will be "Kicker without a kicked effect." - proven wrong Jan 2010 : 2 wrongs
Decks:
:symu::symb: Bloodchief Ascension - Modern
:symb::symr: Rakdos, the Defiler - EDH
:symu::symb::symw: Sharuum the Hegemon - EDH
:symw::symu::symb: Zur the Enchanter - EDH
My gallery of altered cards